Should I (or do I) need to wait to file my taxes this year, before I fill out Need Access and/or FAFSA forms. Also, if a school is listed as one of the participating organizations on the Need Access website, does that mean it is required by that school?

gta wrote:I am applying to some schools that require the Need Access, and some that require just the FAFSA.

Do schools that require Need Access also need me to submit a FAFSA to them? If not, does that apply across the board or are there some schools that want both and others that only want one?

Any insight is appreciated.

Look at the school's website for financial aid instructions, but in most cases I would guess yes, you will also need to submit FAFSA. Certainly if you want any loans, you do.

shtein wrote:Jumping on this thread with another question:

Should I (or do I) need to wait to file my taxes this year, before I fill out Need Access and/or FAFSA forms. Also, if a school is listed as one of the participating organizations on the Need Access website, does that mean it is required by that school?

IIRC, you can estimate all your numbers and do FAFSA and NA before you do your taxes, and then revise them later to reflect your actual numbers, or you can do both after you've done your taxes. I recommend doing your taxes as soon as you have all your W2s and stuff, in Jan/Feb, and then doing the fin aid stuff. Definitely don't wait until April 14.

And yes, probably if a school is listed on the NA site, they require it. But the best way to figure this out is, again, to look at the school's website and follow their directions.